The present invention relates to evaluating social aspects of online interactive societies and, in particular, to utilizing an object oriented multi-user domain to provide social dilemma exercises to evaluate interactions between people in online interactive societies.
An online interactive society arises whenever two or more people interact through a computer-based communication medium, which may include text or written communication, audio communication, still or motion video communication, or any combination of these communication formats. Online interactive societies can include interactions between a customer and a service provider at a commercial or transactional network site, interactions between collaborating workers or professionals, conversational interactions between two or more people, interactions between participants in a game or other recreational activity, etc. Such interactions can occur over a variety of computer connections, including networks such as the Internet, intranets, LANs, WANS, etc.
Online interactive computer systems evolved from prior stand-alone computer systems. The user interface aspects of both types of computer systems have typically focussed on computer system capabilities, user convenience and ease of use, and design aesthetics. These different considerations are often applied to the design of a user interface based upon intuitive conclusions reached by the system designers. While these design considerations may have been adequate for stand-alone computer applications, the social aspect of online interactive computer systems requires additional considerations than those typically applied to stand-alone computer systems.
In an online interactive computer system, the type and format of the interaction or communication between people can be considered a user interface aspect of the system or, more likely, can reach to the core functionality of the system. In view of the importance of the interactive or social aspects of such computer systems, evaluation of the interface and social aspects of online interactive computer systems requires a more quantitative analysis.
One metric social scientists have developed to measure the success of a relationship or group is the level of trust or cooperation between members of the group. Well-defined models and methods have been developed to test the existence and dynamics of cooperation in social relations, including the use of social dilemmas. Social dilemmas are situations in which an individually reasonable decision can result in everyone in the xe2x80x9csocietyxe2x80x9d being relatively better or worse off. Models of social dilemmas capture this tension between individually and collectively beneficial outcomes and so can be used to assess the level of cooperation and trust in a group such as an online interactive society.
The present invention provides social dilemma virtual world environment (VWE) software that facilitates creation and usage of social dilemma tests or exercises for measuring and analyzing online interactive societies. A virtual world represents a real or imaginary place using graphics, images, video, force feedback, and audio data to define a representation of the place on a computer for one or more users. Typically, the virtual world enables multiple users to simultaneously perceive and interact with the virtual world and with each other through different computers that are connected by a network.
The social dilemma VWE software and the methodology of the present invention are capable of distinguishing the levels of cooperation and trust that are created by various interface and social factors within online interactive societies. Evaluating with social dilemma VWE software the effects of such social and interface factors on the degree of online cooperation allows such factors to be incorporated into the design and functionality of online interactive societies.
Social factors that can be evaluated with the social dilemma VWE software may include the availability or absence of unstructured communications such as with synchronous text chat, asynchronous text chat (e.g., e-mail), verbal or audio communication, still or motion video communication, historical, social, or other background information about others, etc. Interface factors that can be evaluated with the social dilemma VWE software may include the format, style, or layout of the computer-based interactive environment, including interface colors, fonts, font sizes, the presence or absence of graphical user interface components, terminology for user controls or instructions, etc. Two examples of social dilemmas that can be implemented with the social dilemma VWE software are the classic. Prisoner""s Dilemma and the continuous Prisoner""s Dilemma.
In one implementation a social dilemma virtual world environment has a multi-user virtual social dilemma exercise object (ShowRoom) in which social dilemma exercise component objects (ShowItems) are presented from a server to multiple social dilemma participants at multiple client computers. Each client computer includes interface objects (ShowIets) that communicate with the social dilemma exercise component objects to render corresponding information or exercise features at the participants"" client computers (e.g., displays, multimedia information, or other outputs) and to pass to the objects input or communications from the exercise participants.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.